A system is needed that enables a manufacturer to control or regulate the ability of the manufacturer's distributor to refurbish, or service, or produce the manufacturer's product, such that without controlled authorization from the manufacturer, either through a distributor license or a networked computer system controlled by the manufacturer, the distributor is incapable of performing the required support processes related to the manufacturer's product. The distributor authorization from the manufacturer when using a networked computer system can be accomplished by the manufacturer's remote application server that provides a remote desktop session for the distributor to have access to the software application that enables the distributor to perform the product services. An alternative is the distributor is operating a local custom software application on their local computer, and authorization to perform the product services is done through periodic communication with the manufacturer's server.
The common benefit of the distributor license or networked authorization system is that the manufacturer can track and audit all maintenance, refurbishments, reprocessing, repair services, or production activities performed by the distributor and use the information for revenue sharing from the distributor product activities.
The networked authorization system has additional benefits of stopping distributor product services instantly if required, and the manufacturer can access product information that the distributor collects in real time during each product activity performed by the distributor. The manufacturer can electronically track materials (via bar-coding, RFID identification, etc.) being utilized by the distributor to perform the maintenance, reprocessing or servicing, or during production and facilitate remote inventory management. The other benefit of real time network data exchange would be in products that store a history record each time it is used; the stored information could be uploaded from the distributor to the manufacturer during maintenance or service repair.